Book Review: Real Clothes, Real Lives by Kiki Smith

What are “real clothes,” you might ask on encountering this book.  As the preface explains, Smith College costume designer Kiki Smith gave the label “real clothes” to garments that were not designed as costumes but had that had somehow ended up in the college costume collection. Many were old and fragile, certainly not up to rigors of a theater performance. Instead of tossing them out, Smith realized their unique value as historical artifacts and teaching tools.  She made it her mission to expand the collection. Often at her own expense, Smith sought out examples of everyday garments at yard sales and auctions.  She enlisted the help of alumnae and students to expand and organize what she had found. Thus began the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection, over 4000 pieces of clothing compiled over almost five decades. It is not only a rich source of textile design and clothing construction, it forms a tactile history of what women wore from the nineteenth century to the present.

Some of the clothes come with a clear provenance, like Sylvia Plath’s Girl Scout uniform and peace activist Frances Crow’s protest poncho emblazoned with the motto “Refuse to Kill.”  Others, like maids’ uniforms and house dresses, cannot be traced to distinct individuals. 

With every garment, Smith provides supporting material to illustrate the object in its historic context, including old photographs, sewing patterns, and advertisements.  She makes an effort to show the clothes on diverse bodies and in different settings. In the example above, she shows three rayon day dresses from the 1940s alongside a photo of a Japanese American woman in the Manzanar Detention Camp wearing a similar garment. 

Rather than following a strict chronology, Smith divides the book into sections according to function—inside clothes, outside clothes, accessories, clothes for special occasions, service clothes, suits, and a final section called “pushing the boundaries,” covering outfits of women who made their own fashion rules.  Those like me interested in tracing the history of women in pants will find lots of visual evidence here, from divided skirts, to gym outfits, to wartime overalls, to slack suits, to pant suits, to jeans.  I was particularly enamored by the everyday treasures in the accessory section, which included Afro combs, stocking repair kits, and sleeve cuff protectors. 

The stunning photos highlight telling details, like a homemade garment where in places the print was used upside down.  Smith’s meticulous description of the work bodice above reveals that it was most likely made around 1860 and redesigned decades later.  The lining is composed of two printed cottons from the late 19^th century, torn and patched.  You can learn a lot about sewing techniques if you pay careful attention.  You also learn just how precious fabric used to be.

This is a book you can read over and over again, always discovering new details.  Buy if you can; borrow it if you can’t.  You won’t be disappointed.